Hi everyone! This week we are looking at Living Generously – take a look at this.
To see the next session of our story from Acts 4 watch the video below. It is introduced by Colin the coin collector.
Think about
How exciting that the group of people who believe in Jesus has grown from the 12 disciples to over 3,000 people and they want to look after each other, especially those in need. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to look generous but they told lies. What happened to them will not happen to us but we want to think about today how we can live generously.
Imagine yourself playing pass-the-parcel. How would you feel if when it landed on you, you had to give something away. Maybe the gift or sweet attached to it – or maybe one of your toys. Would you still want to play? What about if it landed on you every time! That would be hard, wouldn’t it?
Or think about three favourite things that belong to you. Could you give them away? Do you think it would be easy or hard?
We can be generous in lots of ways – by sharing, by giving time, by helping others, by thinking about what might make someone else happy and doing it. Sometimes being generous is easy, but sometimes it is hard as it costs us something to do it. We want to follow Jesus’ example and the way his life inspired generosity in others. The great thing is that when you follow Jesus, he helps us to love and when you love it makes it easier to give.
In the video Colin talked about his coin collection and in Acts 4 people gave their money to help others. Here is a quick quiz for you. In the photo are some coins from different countries. Click on the picture to make it bigger, and see if you can guess where they come from or what they call their coins. Clue – none of them are pence like the UK! The answers are at the bottom of the page.
Here is another picture of some banknotes from around the World. Again, click on it to make it bigger. The name of the country is underneath.
Many countries put pictures on their notes of things their government and people think are important. Famous people and Buildings are popular, like the Taiwanese note which has a Memorial Hall from a National Park, or the Romanian note which has a building where the Philharmonic Orchestra have their headquarters. I like this one as it has a piano and a line of music which is from the opera of George Enesco who is the famous person on the other side of the note. Also, if you look carefully, you can spot a large musical note picture which is see through.
Animals often feature on notes – especially African ones has they have animals people love to see. The South African and Congolese notes have elephants and the West African note that can be used in a few countries has two kob, which are like antelopes.
There is also Science like the Ethiopian note with the microscope. Or how about the Rwanda note with dancers – they are performing the Intore traditional dance of Rwanda.
Canada’s note shows their national sport – ice hockey – plus some sledging and ice skating! Qatar shows three birds – a plover, a bee-eater and a lark. Out of all those notes, which would be your favourite?
If you could make your own banknote, what would you put on it? Try to design one on a piece of paper.
Here is a brain teaser for you – do you know what pictures are on the banknotes in England? Can you make a guess? Perhaps your parents will show you – but you probably will only be allowed to look, not keep!
Now, you may not have lots of money or houses or fields to sell to help others but this does not stop you being generous. Can you think of ways you could share and be generous?
You might like to make some giving hands like the ones I made below.
Draw around your right hand but have it on the left hand side of the page. When you get to the top of your little finger, stop and cut the line that you have drawn so far. When you get to the top of the little finger again, stop, fold your paper over and draw around the hand and fingers you cut. Then you can cut out the rest so you end up with open hands. You can add hearts if you like or other decoration. Then you could write on the fingers ideas of ways you could share and be generous. Or you could write a note to a friend on the hands, to cheer them up or to tell them of something you want to do for them.
What else could you do? Share some of your sweets? Share a kind word or hug to someone who is sad? Let someone go first at something at school even if you really would like to be first? See what ideas you can come up with – and then do them!
Pray
Thank you Jesus that the early church wanted to share and look after people. Help us to live generously too and give us ideas on how we can do that. Thank you that we can share your love and thank you that we all have something to share no matter how big or small.
More fun
Are you any good at drawing? Take a look at this. I have started you off with some things that the people in Acts may have shared with each other. Your job is to see if you can finish off the picture. See how you get on! Can you think of other things they may have shared?
If you like puppets you might enjoy this video about being generous.
Here are the coin answers!
1) Switzerland – 5 Swiss Francs
2) India – 5 Rupees
3) Ethiopia – 5 Santim
4) Hong Kong – 2 dollars
5) Australia – 50 cents
6) Canada – 5 cents
7) Uganda – 200 shillings
8) South Africa – 1 Rand
9) Taiwan – 10 Yuan
10) United Arab Emirates- 1 Dirham.
Have a brilliant week! You will not get a package through your door for our next session but something even better is happening. We hope to see you in the sunshine at the reservoir next Sunday for some fun together!